2021 Toyota Avalon Hybrid review: Soft-serve sedan

The 2021 Toyota Avalon Hybrid is like comfortable-serve ice product: clean and sweet. With a relaxed ride, accommodating cabin and pleasurable demeanor, this large sedan is comforting to drive and goes down (the road) simple. But the authentic-world gasoline economy is unquestionably its strongest asset. You may well not believe how economical a 4-door of this size can be.

Cup or cone?

Appealing to a assortment of drivers, the Toyota Avalon is served in two techniques: with both an interior-combustion or hybrid powertrain. Due to the fact neither model is a driver’s car or truck — no, not even the Avalon TRD — you may well as well get the hybrid and love its exceptional performance, which is provided with tiny sacrifice in efficiency.

Released a couple yrs ago, the fifth-technology Avalon is developed on the TNGA system, underpinnings that, in 1 variety or an additional, assistance a enormous assortment of Toyota solutions, almost everything from the Prius to the Highlander to the Lexus ES. This architecture will make the Avalon Hybrid really feel rock reliable, free of charge of creaks, groans, squeaks or rattles, plus it can help supply great crash security, as evinced by stellar rankings from the Insurance coverage Institute for Highway Safety.

A little bit larger sized than a Camry and considerably much more upscale, the Avalon gives luxury-car or truck frills in a mainstream package, although you may well not adore its appears, as that enormous grille is a little bit significantly. Apart from unique styling and interior appointments, this Toyota is practically similar to the Lexus ES, which is generally an Avalon with added toppings. They have the similar wheelbase and total duration, and in hybrid guise, similar powertrains and performance rankings. But who wears it superior? Properly, obtaining reviewed the ES a couple months back again, in this case, I’d say the Toyota is much more satisfying. The ES 250 I analyzed was adequate, but its faults have been considerably much more evident given the elevated cost tag.

A large softie

The Avalon Hybrid’s interior is stretch-out roomy and as soft as grandma’s sofa, although this example’s creamy-comfortable cognac-colored leather-based is considerably much more attractive than her shiny plastic slip handles. The products utilized within are of large good quality, with liberal amounts of comfortable plastics and even authentic wood accents in Limited designs. Up entrance, the bucket chairs are comfortable nevertheless supportive and the backseat is similarly accommodating, serving up broad amounts of headroom and leg room. For prolonged-length vacation, the Avalon is aces.

Adding a little bit panache, this Toyota’s dashboard is expressively built but not over the prime or bizarre seeking for the sake of currently being different. There is undoubtedly some 3D sculpting to it, but the structure is rather significantly symmetrical. I also adore how the console sweeps up to join the middle stack, it is a uncomplicated but suave contact. The infotainment and climate controls are mounted up large so they are simple to see, although I do desire some of those chiclet-design and style buttons have been a tiny larger sized, as they can be a obstacle to press though driving.

Like other Toyotas, this car or truck has predictable deficits and I am not going to defeat them to dying in this review. The backup camera is rather low-resolution and the infotainment program lackluster at finest. The regular nine-inch touchscreen is, however, vibrant, vibrant and simple to look at with out getting your eyes far too considerably off the road, once again, due to the fact of its elevated position on the dashboard. Along with Apple CarPlay, Android Automobile is regular products, although both smartphone-mirroring programs need to have USB obtain to operate, so make confident you provide a cable. Limited designs do appear regular with a Qi wireless charging plate, at the very least.

Efficiency is the cherry on prime

This Toyota is powered by a hybrid drivetrain, 1 centered about a two.5-liter 4-cylinder motor. Augmented by a pair of electrical motors, which, between other things, functionality as a continually variable transmission, this Avalon is graced with a overall of 215 horsepower. A certain torque determine is not detailed as the math with hybrids is fuzzier than the pores and skin of a kiwi you might garnish a sundae with. Clean and responsive, this arrangement can shift the car or truck from a standstill to sixty mph in about 8.one seconds, which will make the Avalon Hybrid really feel spry if not overly vigorous. Even when the accelerator is buried, the interior-combustion motor remains muted.

But what will make this these types of a dynamite drivetrain is the gasoline performance. Decrease-conclude Avalon Hybrids sticker at forty three mpg metropolis and forty four mpg on both the freeway and blended examination cycles. In comparison, this Limited-trim product is rated at just forty three mpg across the board, a enormous privation, I know. In authentic-world driving, however, this car or truck is exceptionally economical, as I am obtaining much more than 46 mpg with out even attempting, which is damn amazing for a little something this size.

A creamy ride

Ease and comfort and performance are this Toyota’s jam, so will not assume significantly else from the drive. There is nothing at all exciting about how the Avalon Hybrid handles. Its steering is predictable, the wheel emotion as light as a dollop of whipped product. The brake pedal simple to modulate and the changeover from regenerative to friction braking is all but imperceptible, a little something other automakers could master from.

Handling is protected, but my tester’s Hankook Kinergy GT all-time tires really feel like they are made of difficult cheese, presenting tiny really feel, even on dry pavement. Of study course, with a treadwear rating of 540, you are not able to assume significantly in the way of corner-carving grip. They howl in disapproval prolonged ahead of you attain the limit. On the plus side, those performance-targeted tires are tranquil and supply a ride that is creamier than frozen custard. Many thanks to its consolation and refinement, the Avalon Hybrid is comforting to drive and can really make you really feel considerably less stressed after a journey than when you started out.

Aiding soothe frazzled nerves, Toyota Safety Sense-P is regular across the assortment. This incorporates advanced driver aids like lane-departure warning with steering support, automated large beams and adaptive cruise control. Blind-place monitoring with rear cross-website traffic warn is bundled free of charge of demand, far too. Even although it is accessible on other Toyota and Lexus designs, lane centering (Lane Tracing Help in Toyota parlance) is, sad to say, not accessible at any cost.

A winning recipe

The 2021 Toyota Avalon Hybrid starts off at just about $38,000 together with $995 in place fees, a mere $975 much more than a equivalent gas-powered model. That gets you an entry-level XLE instance with hundreds of regular capabilities together with keyless entry with pushbutton start, LED headlights and a lot of security products. The pinnacle Limited product you might be looking through about in this review checks out for $46,717, a much more-than-reasonable determine for a large, relaxed and well-geared up sedan. In a natural way, a couple extras inflate the base cost, but nothing at all insane. The Innovative Safety Package incorporates a 360-degree camera program and parking sensors with rear automated braking, all for $one,a hundred and fifty. The sleek Ruby Flare Pearl paint position fees an added $425, and a small handful of other options include an supplemental $847 to the base line.

The Avalon Hybrid is a large sedan with a twist. Like a dish of chocolate and vanilla comfortable serve, it gives large-car or truck consolation and hybrid performance, an unexpectedly delicious combination.